Promises Secrets and Pasts
Previous (in order) A Dangerous Path Shattered Pack List Alpha-Night Beta-Blaze Hunters Rock Bolt Swift Scar Patrol-dogs Wolf Scout Pine Omega Chapter 1 Promises made. Promises broken. Secrets kept. Secrets told. Pasts revealed. Pasts hidden. This was what made up Scout's life. But finally, some happiness. Pine, her mate, pressed against her in his sleep. She pushed her snout into his fur, breathing in his scent. She'd made promises to him, told him her secrets, her past. And now she felt she'd pay for it, standing, staring into the eyes of a dog who'd called for her blood Sun-dog journeys prior. Bramble glared at her, eyes narrowed. Scout shivered involuntarily and Pine, her mate, pressed against her flank. She breathed in his scent, strong and comforting. But there was something else, something not quite so nice. Scout sniffed it again. She sat bolt upright, blood throbbing in her severely injured leg. Once more, just to make sure. Yes. It was stronger, closer, more dangerous. Scout lept to her paws. "Fire!" She howled. Alpha stood and sniffed the air. "Scout's right." He barked. "Everyone out. Now." "Pack, fall in."Bramble's Alpha barked. Calm and orderly their pack rose. "I will finish this conversation later." Then the pack stormed off. "Alright," Alpha continued. His voice was calm but he was shivering a little. Scout looked to the forest. Flames could be seen past the foliage. "Everybody calm. It's not too close. If we all stay calm and nobody panics we'll all get out okay. Beta, take the Hunters, I'll lead the rest of the pack." With a respectful dip of her snout Bera lead the Hunters off. Scar nodded at Scout. "Be brave." He whispered before turning back. Even though she knew he couldn't see her, Scout nodded. "Wolf, Omega, let's go. Pine, Scout, make sure you both get out safely." Alpha barked before leading Wolf and Omega out. Omega turned back and barked. "Good luck." Then he turned and scrambled after Alpha. "Why does nobody seem to think we'll get out of this?" Scout asked, leaning on Pine. "I don't know." Pine responded before they began walking. Scout felt the heat behind her now, but she didn't ask Pine to soeed up. He seemed to be in enough pain anyway. His torn flank was seeping blood now. "Go on ahead of me. I'll catch up." He hissed through his teeth. "I'm not leaving you to that fire." Scout responded. "Have it your way, but if we burn up don't blame me." Pine grunted. Scout felt it right behind her paws now, threatening to catch up. Her injured leg was screaming in agony, making even walking difficult. The others were in view when the fire caught up to them. Pine yelped and staggered, nearly falling and knocking Scout off her paws. She rolled out of the path of the fire and saw it closing in on Pine. With no one to support him he was barely managing to hobble along. Chapter 2 Scout lept to her paws, ignoring the pain in her leg. She shot forward and snagged Pine's scruff. One of his hind legs was already catching fire. She grabbed him tighter and started pulling. It was slow work and soon Scout realized something. At this point it was save herself or neither of them. Scout dropped his scruff. She pressed her nose against his burning one for an instant. "Forgive me." She whispered. "Always." He groaned. "You've already made me the luckiest male ever. May Forest-dog guide you." Scout nodded and bolted to her packmates. She collapsed a dog length away from fear and grief. Scar padded over and crouched beside her. "Where is Pine?" He asked gently. "Fire." Scout choked out. "He burned and it's all my fault." "Not quite." Coughed a raspy voice. Scout's head shot up and she found herself staring into the eyes of a soot covered dog. "Pine?" She asked tentatively, wanting to believe it but not quite believing it. "I knew I could get myself out, but not you too." He bent over, coughing. "I dragged myself over to some rocks not far away. There was a little creek nearby, thank the River-dog, I went in and followed it here." "You're alive?" Scout asked. "Yes, barely." Pine nodded. Scout pressed against him. "I thought you burned." She sniffled. "I thought I did too for a little while. But when you left I crawled under a rocky overhang. It sheilded me when the flames tore past, not to say it wasn't hot." He sniffed. Chapter 3 Patience. Forgiveness. Control. Three traits Bramble thought Fierce-dogs didn't have. Three traits Scout was having a difficult time controlling as Bramble spoke to Alpha. "That Fierce-dog is not a dog you want to have. She'll get you all killed." "On the contrary, she may have saved your life and mine, noticing that fire." Alpha objected. "That was to save her own tail." Bramble snorted. "I'll prove to you that Fierce-dogs think only about themselves." He stepped forward, grabbing Alpha's scruff and yanking him off his paws. Bramble pressed a paw on Alpha's throat. "Choose." He growled menacingly. "Let him strangle or risk your life and save him." He wouldn't do it. Scout thought. But then again he might to prove a point. "Get off of Alpha." Scout growled. Bramble glared back. Bunching her legs, Scout sprang. She knocked him off Alpha. Bramble gripped her throat and pulled, tearing lines in Scout's neck, not deep but still painful. Thankfully Pine tore Bramble off before he could do any severe damage. "That's enough." He growled. "I think you've proved your point." Bramble grunted and stepped back, his muzzle stained wit Scout's blood. "Leave, now." Alpha growled, scrambling to his paws and trying to look dignified at the same time. "Believe me." Bramble growled. "This isn't over. We'll be back." Then he turned and fled. Chapter 4 "Can I go now?" Scout asked once Swift was done cleaning her wound. "I should probably go on a patrol to make up for all the chaos recently." "No." Swift said firmly. "You have to stay right there." "Not happening." Scout snorted and stood up. "No, please Scout. You don't understand." Swift pleaded pressing Scout back down. "You're right, I don't understand, so explain it." Scout sighed. "Because I need a reason not to go." "Scout, if you go you'll be endangering lives." Swift said. "And I'll be endangering lives if I don't go. Swift, I like playing your little games but can we do this later?" Scout sighed. "Just let me go." "Scout, listen first. I understand I can't hold you back but maybe this thought will. The lives you'll endanger haven't even begun yet." Swift lowered her head in defeat. To her surprise Scout plunked down next to her. Scout's eyes were soft and her face calm. "One of our packmates is having pups. Who?" "Not on of our packmates, Scout. One of us." Swift corrected. "You're having pups?" Scout demanded, surprised. "Who's are they?" "I... It's not me." Swift mumbled. Scout flopped back. She lay there for a while, staring at the sky. Eventually she sat up. "So what you're saying is that I'm having pups? Me?" Swift nodded. Scout groaned. "Do me a favor and tell Pine for me." Swift nodded and left. Scout lay back down, completely shocked. She felt like she'd been flipped by a dog twice her size. Some dogs changed when they had pups. The only change she felt was dissapointment. Scout looked at her belly. "How do I keep them safe and serve the pack at the same time? If anything happens to them I'll feel like I let Pine down?" Her mate padded over beside her. "Well," he barked. "This is a change that will complicate things." "You think?" Scout snorted. "Swift says only a couple of complete Moon-dog transitions." Pine told her softly. "Well this'll be fun. I promise I'll try my best not to have them in the middle of a battle." Scout nuzzled his neck. "That would make things easier." Chapter 5 It had been about a full Moon-dog rotation since Swift's reveal and Scout was not happy. Her belly had swollen significantly and she felt bulky. Pine assured her she was doing well. Scout did not believe him. Scout woke up and felt extremely sick. So while everyone else got up to busy themselves Scout was content with lying in her nest. That was, until Pine came up and layed his head on her side. "What's wrong?" He asked. "I'm not feeling good." Scout grumbled. " I'll get Swift." Pine promised. "And next time I might have the pups and you can come and go anywhere." "You'd better." Scout swatted at him. He got up and padded off. Scout was just getting comfortable when Swift plopped down beside her. She nosed Scout's belly. With a startled yelp she jumped to her paws. "Alpha! Alpha! Get over here now. Bring Pine too!" It was enough to rouse Scout too from her semi-sleep. Alpha skidded to an alert halt beside Swift. "What's wrong?" Alpha demanded. "Scout is... Scout is..." She gasped. "Scout is close to having her pups. A Moon-dog away, I think." Alpha collapsed on the spot and Pine, who'd been running over, flopped over too. Scout flopped her snout in the dirt. "Sky-dogs help us. Pups have incapacitated Alpha and Pine. Wait until I actually have them." Chapter 6 Scout let out a loud wail and thrashed out with a leg. Pine watched his mate with mounting anxiety. "Make it stop!" Scout barked sharply. "Make it stop now!" "I wish I could," Swift soothed. "But you still need to birth the pups. I'd say you'll have five." "Forest-dog help me!" She shrieked. "Tell me this is as bad as it gets!" "Not even close." Swift muttered. "Pine," Scout growled. "Next time you get to have the pups. Somehow I will make sure you do." Pine sat by and watched as the loud howls grew louder and slowly five pups lined up against Scout. "Tell me, please, that's the last of them." Scout panted. "I think," Swift began as a sixth pup came out. It let out a squeal. "That is definitely it." Swift said. "Thank the Forest-dog." Scout sighed, finally settling in next to her six pups. Pine lay down next to her and the pups. ---------------------- "Names?" Scout asked, quieting a squeal with a lick on the top of the head. "The sixth one is fussing." Pine said, nudging his daughter, to her argument. She squealed and bit his paw. "Ow!" Pine drew his paw back. "I am telling her that the Sky-dogs eat fussy bundles of fur." "If you do," Scout sighed. "I will assign you to take care of the pups for me fir a Moon-dog transition." Pine sobered up. "Well, for her maybe," he thought for few heartbeats. "Blaze." "Sure, why not. I was thinking thd oldest male could be Quick, in honor of Swift." Scout said. The end result was for the males: Quick. He had a shaggy pelt like his fathers but had Fierce-dog markings. The only strange thing about him was that he had a white forepaw. Hail. Like his mother he had short corse fur with long legs. His fur was mosly gray with a black patch on his shoulder and neck. Boulder. He was already heavily built with powerful looking, thick legs. His fur was black with flashes of gray. The females were as follows: Blaze. A lean-looking, large chested female. Her paws and a patch on her chest are white whereas the rest of her coat looks like a Fierce-dogs. Frost. She had a slightly firmer look than her sister's. Her coat is almost identical to her father's besides the large white patch over one eye. Night. The pup that most resembles a Fierce-dog. She is identical to her mother. The sight of her scared her mother so badly that Scout pulled the other pups away. Chapter 7 A Moon-dog transition had passed since the birth of the pups and it had been mostly calm. There had bedn a few scrapes but none too severe. "Come on let's play!" Night yelped, her tail wagging so badly her entire body shook. "Mother-dog, I want to play!" "Not now, Night." Scout whispered. "Your littermates are sleeping. Why don't you ask some others?" "Yes!" Night bounded over to the Hunters. "Want to play?" She yipped. "Not right now, Night. Maybe later." Scar told her. None of the pack would admit it but her appearance unnerved them. Even her parents were slightly spooked by her appearance. "Oh. Okay." Night stopoed bouncing and padded over to Omega. "Do you want to play with me?" She asked. "I'll try." Omega grimaced as he hauled himself to his paws. "But I haven't played since I hurt my paw." "How did you hurt it?" Night asked, intrigued. "I was trying to swim," Omega explained. "The currents are strong and I got my paw stuck in a crack and twisted it. I've been Omega since." "That's awful!" Night gasped. "I bet no dog plays with you." "Not normally." Omega admitted. "Well I'll play with you!" Night wagged her tail. "Okay." Omega stretched. "I'll find a stick and you can try to pull it out of my jaws." "Yay!" Night squeaked. She bounced around Omega until he found a large, crooked stick. "Alright Night. Try and get it now." Omega barked around the stick. Night lunged forward and locked her teeth on the stick and started yanking. Omega snorted. "Pull harder." Night planted her paws firmly on the ground, squared her shoulders and wrenched the stick free of Omega's grip. With a surprised yelp, Omega tumbled back. "Good job. Now try it again." Chapter 8 Blaze prodded her mother. "Mother-dog wake up." Scout raised her head. She stared, shocked, for a second then gathered her pups in close to her. "Can we join your pack?" Bramble, apparently an Alpha now, stood in front of Alpha. "Get lost, Bramble." Alpha snarled. "You left. Stay gone." "Please Alpha. Chill has pups. We'll do anything, just let us in." Bramble begged. "Forget it." A scarred, large Fierce-dog growled. "No." Alpha growled. "You can stay unless you get in my packs way. Then you leave. Permanently." "Thank you Alpha." Bramble barked. He glanced back at his Beta. "Down." He growled. Scowling, the Fierce-dog obeyed. A relieved dog who Scout assumed was Chill, padded over with four pups trailing her. "So you're my denmate?" She asked. "I guess." Scout said, leaning down to groom a squeaking Blaze. "You don't seem to happy." Chill commented. "Have I insulted you already? Because if I have I'd like to apologize for my actions or words." "No." Scout sighed. "It's not you, it's your Alpha. I guess I haven't quite forgiven him for trying to kill my Alpha and me." "Bramble tried to kill you?" Chill gasped. "That's awful. Almost as awful as what that brute did to my mate." "What did he do?" Scout asked, intrigued. "My mate was Alpha before him. Bramble fought for leadership. Instead of stopping when my mate submitted he kept going until he killed him." Chill snarled. "Mother-dog, why doesn't this dog look like you or Father-dog?" Blaze asked. "Because dhe isn't one of our littermates." Scout explained. "Mother-dog, " one of Chill's pups prodded her with a small paw. "Can we play with them?" "Don't ask me Peak ask their Mother-dog. " Chill told her son. "Can we?" Hail and Quick begged. "Go ahead." Scout told them. The pups charged each other. Chill nodded at Scout, showing her approval. Chapter 9 Scout sat by a freshly killed rabbit. She'd had her share and was letting Chill eat the rest. Pine padded over. "Bramble being here reminds me of...harder times." He said. Scout glanced at his burnt leg and nodded. Night came tumbling over and tripped on Scout's tail. "Mother-dog! Mother-dog! Omega says I'm almost as strong as him!" Night bounced up and down. "I'm sure you are." Scout responded, she saw Chill's eyes twinkle with amusement. "Why don't you go play with your littermates and the other pups?" "Okay!" Night bounded off. "I never learned your pups names." Scout told Chill. "Well, the little female is Gray, because of her coat colour. The biggest male is Flash, his fathers name. The smallest male is Fang, he bit his sister and she squealed the whole time Moon-dog was in the sky. The last male is Splash, he fell in a river when he was younger." Chill told Scout. "Time we slept though." Pine told them. "Who knows but, hopefully not, the Fierce-dogs might be back next Sun-dog journey." Read Shadows